I tried these four fitness watches to see which Hyrox is best for training

I’m so used to recording and tracking my workouts that when I started training for Hyrox, my first question was, “How do I track them?” I want to keep track of my heart rate, so it’s compressed instead of clocks Smart band Or rings. But which is the best? I tried four different watches and found two clear winners—depending on what you want to focus on.

Hyrox, of course, is a hybrid fitness sport that combines running with strength-endurance activities. (I have Explainer on it here.) A typical Hirox or hybrid fitness workout consists of cardio and strength exercises, which you usually alternate between. You may want to note when you switch exercises (by pressing the lap button on your tracker) and you may want to track rest. If running is involved, you’ll want to know your running distance. Regardless, you’ll probably want to keep an eye on your heart rate.

You don’t really need a dedicated Hyrox mod to track workouts with your watch. A lot of people get by with their standard watch’s “gym cardio” or “indoor run” modes (although some stations won’t rack up any actual run mileage). But some watches have Hyrox or Hybrid mode, so here’s what you’ll see if you use them.

Best for runners: Coros Pace 4’s hybrid fitness mode

Credit: Beth Skwerki

This singers My favorite for casual training. I can go to the gym, start a workout on the watch and know that everything counts. During each segment of the workout, I can see the length of my workout on a color-coded graph, as well as a timer tracking my heart rate.

Coros automatically detects which segments are run, and labels them when I view the workout later on my phone. Other sections are labeled “functional training,” but I can edit the workouts to properly label each exercise I was doing. The best part is that Koros calculates your run mileage. As I’m leaving the gym, I’ll complete the workout on the watch, and receive a small message that I’ve racked up 2.73 miles in the process. I then use Voice note To write down what the stations were, while they are still fresh in my mind.

How to use it: Go to the Activities menu and select Hybrid Fitness. I use Training mode with Manual restBut if I know I’ll be jumping directly from activity to activity, I’ll choose Continuously Instead Corros also has a mode for racing that shows your running speed during run segments, and stations are properly labeled in sequence. There is also a mode for fitness test like Hyrox PFT.

Best for the following structured workouts: Roxfit with Apple Watch

Credit: Beth Skwerki

I found Roxfit when I was looking for a way to track hybrid workouts with Garmin. While Roxfit works on Garmin watches, I chose to use it with the Apple Watch. Roxfit is actually a standalone app; You don’t need a watch to use it. But if you create a workout in the Roxfit app, you can sync that workout to your watch and your watch will guide you through the workout. Roxfit also has a number of other Hyrox-centric features, allowing you to connect your past race times and upcoming events and create a pacing plan for your next race. Today, I am only concerned with guidance and tracking for general workouts.

There’s no way to track a freeform workout with Roxfit, but it’s easy to create a workout on the fly. Chat with “Hype” (built-in chatbot) and ask for anything you want. You can also create workouts manually, but I found that Hype understood me better. For example, I said, “Give me a workout with one minute of running followed by 10 repetitions of lunges, five repetitions, no rest” and got exactly that.

The Roxfit app will tell you when you’re halfway through each segment, count your last three-second time, and read your next steps aloud: “Now: run one minute. Next: sandbag lunges.” The data fields on the Apple Watch are easier to read and understand, but the Garmin version is also fine. If you use a Garmin, note that the “send to wearable” button in the Roxfit app sends the workout to your Garmin. applicationNot for the watch. You still have to go to the Garmin Connect app to send to the watch.

How to use it: On your phone, create a workout and sync it to your Apple or Garmin watch. From your watch, select a workout and start it from there. There is no way to start a freeform workout where you choose what to do in real time.

Runner-up: Amazfit’s Hyrox Mod

Hyrox Mod on Amazfit Active Max. Note that blurry black bars are an artifact of taking photos in sunny conditions; They don’t appear in real life.
Credit: Beth Skwerki

Of the watches I’m discussing today, the Amazfit is the only one that actually uses the term Hyrox. (Amazfit is one official partner of the Hyrox Company.) Its Hyrox mode is similar to Coros, but it does not calculate mileage run or recognize laps run. In addition to the “free” training mode, you can also use one of three timers: Tabata (20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, for four minutes), AMRAP (a set time limit for what you want to do), or EMOM (you’ll get an alert at the top of each minute to start your exercise, and then you’ll rest for the remaining minute).

How to use it: From the Activity menu, select Hyrox training. Use the lap button to create new laps or segments, or follow one of the timer modes. Runs will not be identified, and run distance will not be tracked. There’s also a race mode that labels each segment with its correct event (giving you a view with running speed for those of you running) and a mode for the Hyrox PFT test.